


Azula Goes to the Botanical Gardens

by missobsessed22, NKNovak



Series: The Fire Siblings go Places [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), F/F, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Ty Lee loves flowers, and Azula loves Ty Lee, botanical gardens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:13:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27982869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missobsessed22/pseuds/missobsessed22, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NKNovak/pseuds/NKNovak
Summary: Azula did something nice for Zuko a few years ago and Zuko feels like it's about time he returned the favor.(This is a follow up to Zuko Goes to a Party but you don't have to read the first one to know what is happening)
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Tyzula
Series: The Fire Siblings go Places [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2049429
Kudos: 35





	Azula Goes to the Botanical Gardens

“I want to do something nice for my sister,” Zuko told his boyfriend, Sokka, as he joined him at the lunch table.

“Why?”

“Because she did something nice for me.”

“She did?”

“Azula has her moments.”

“Okay, so tell me what we’re up to then. What’s the nice thing I’m gonna help you do?” Sokka asked.

“I wanna help Azula get together with Ty Lee.”

“Ty Lee? I didn’t know they were into each other.”

“Really? So, Azula threatening you every time you so much as smiled at Ty Lee didn’t tip you off?”

Sokka shrugged, “I thought Azula was just like that.”

“She can be, but it’s different when it comes to Ty Lee, everything is different about Azula when it comes to Ty Lee.”

“Alright, well let’s set them up on a date then!”

“Okay. I need you to talk to Ty Lee and find out some stuff about her. What food does she like? What flowers? The only thing I know is that her favorite color is pink.”

“No problem! Just keep your sister occupied because I fear she’ll end me if I go anywhere near Ty Lee.”

“I can do that.”

After school Zuko caught up with Azula and started to distract her, just casually talking to her while Sokka made his way to Ty Lee. “Hey, Ty Lee! How are you?” Sokka greeted her.

“I’m great,” Ty Lee smiled. “How are you?”

“I’m really good, actually! I’m taking Zuko out on a date and I want to get him flowers.” Sokka lied.

“How cute!”

“The only problem is, I know nothing about flowers, I was wondering if you could help. What is your favorite flower?”

“Well, my favorite flowers are plum blossoms, but I don’t know if that will work for Zuko. Hm. You should check out the botanical garden, it has all the prettiest flowers! I love going there.”

“Ooo that’s a great idea! Maybe instead of getting him a bouquet of flowers, I can just take him there on a date.”

“That sounds so romantic, I hope you have fun.”

“Also, while I’m picking your brain, what’s your favorite restaurant in town?” Sokka asked.

“The Dancing Dragon, they have the best Komodo chicken in the city!”

“I haven’t tried that yet, it’s a nice place though. Thank you for that. We’ll have to talk more another time, I’m late to meet up with my boyfriend. I’ll catch you later, Ty Lee. Bye!”

“This was fun. Bye, Sokka.”

As this was happening, Zuko was distracting Azula. “Azula. I wanted to talk to you.”

“What about, Zuzu?” Azula asked.

“Actually, I wanted to thank you. Iroh told me you were the one who told him when I got, uh, injured.”

“No thanks needed, I didn’t do it for you, I did it for myself.”

“And how exactly did this benefit you?”

“I wanted dad to know if he even thinks of doing to me what he did to you, I can leave, I have an out.”

Zuko didn’t look like he believed her. “Why is it so hard for you to admit you did a nice thing for me?”

“Because I’m not nice, Zuko, you know that. I just do what I need to in order to survive.”

“Okay, Azula.”

“Anyway, is there anything else you needed?”

Zuko spotted Sokka coming down the hallway and not a minute too soon. “No, nothing at all.”

“Alright, well I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah. See ya, Azula.” 

“Did you talk to Ty Lee?” Zuko asked once they were out of the school.

“I sure did.”

“Tell me everything.”

“So, her favorite restaurant is the Dancing Dragon, and specifically she loves their Komodo chicken, she loves Plum Blossoms, and loves going to the Botanical Gardens. So, I’m thinking we set them up for a date at the Botanical Gardens!”

“Great job, Sokka! I knew I could count on you.”

“You can always count on me.”

“Is it weird that the first date your planning isn’t your own?” Toph asked.

Next to Toph, Zuko and Sokka were googling a map of the botanical gardens, places in which they can get plum blossom bouquets, and the Dancing Dragon menu.

“I guess it could seem that way, but I just wanna make my boyfriend happy,” Sokka answered, showing Zuko a cute flower shop nearby that sold plum blossoms.

“And I just want my sister to be happy. We have plenty of time to plan cute dates for ourselves, Azula’s never going to confess without a nudge” Zuko added, copying the address onto his phone for later. “The hardest part is going to be figuring out how to lure them both to the gardens.”

“I don’t think it’ll be all that hard. On Friday I can just go up to Ty Lee, tell her I had tickets to surprise you to go to the Gardens but that you had work and we can’t go so I want to give them to her instead. Easy.”

“That’s a great idea.”

“I know, I’m full of those. . . Though if you ask Katara she doesn’t think so.”

“Well, that’s just little sisters for you.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Anyway, let’s keep planning; and Toph, any insight you have is valued, no matter helpful or not helpful it is.”

Toph smiled, she gave them a whole lot of insight as they were planning, and it was the exact opposite of helpful. All of it was jokes but only some of it was funny. Not everyone could make Zuko laugh the way Sokka did.

After school the following Friday the boys put their plan into action. Sokka caught up with Ty Lee, “hey, Ty Lee, do you have a second?”

“For my favorite soccer player? I sure do” Ty Lee replied.

Sokka smiled. “Let me cut to the chase: I got tickets for the Botanical Gardens for Zuko and I, but he has to work. I know it’s your favorite place since I got the idea for you, so I wanted to know if you’d like the tickets.”

“I would love them! Thank you!”

“I hope you have a good time with Azula.”

“Hey, how did you know I was going to bring Azula?”

“Well, I just assumed, since you guys are friends and I see you two hanging out together nearly every day after school that you’d bring her”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense, and I am definitely bringing her.”

Ty Lee met Azula by the front doors. “Hi, Azula!”

“Ready to go, Ty Lee?”

“Yes, but I was thinking we could change our plans,” Ty Lee showed her the tickets, “I got two tickets to go to the botanical garden.”

“That doesn’t sound fun,” Azula said. 

Ty Lee frowned. Azula felt bad, it didn’t happen often but she didn’t like when it did, so she added, “but, it’s not like I have anything better to do today anyway.”

Ty Lee smiled and Azula smiled back, she couldn’t help it, for some reason Ty Lee’s smiles seemed to be contagious.

The pair went to the Botanical Gardens, but not before making a quick stop at Azula’s to drop off their heavy backpacks. Ty Lee really loved this place, as they walked around Ty Lee excitedly talked about all the flowers and plants. She picked a stray fire lily and put it in Azula’s hair. 

“What are you doing?” Azula asked.

“Giving you a fire lily,” Ty Lee handed Azula her compact mirror.

Azula opened the mirror to check out the flower Ty Lee put in her hair. “I’ll allow it,” Azula said because it did look good and it made Ty Lee happy. Ty Lee turned and continued walking, not even noticing Azula watching her. Something about watching Ty Lee’s face light up at everything she was seeing made Azula feel good. The sparkle in Ty Lee’s eyes was never not fun to watch.

After the pair had explored the gardens and evening was starting to darken the sky, they left. On their way out Azula checked her email. She had a reminder on her phone telling her about the dinner reservations she had made at the Dancing Dragon for two. She didn’t recall making any dinner reservations, but the reminder was sent to her email, the reservation was under her name, and in order to get reservations at a place like the Dancing Dragon you had to call a week in advance (sometimes more) so she wasn’t going to question it, she was hungry. 

“Ty Lee. I forgot I made reservations at the Dancing Dragon. Would you like to come with me?” Azula asked.

“Of course! That’s my favorite restaurant! Oh, I’m excited” Ty Lee answered.

Azula could tell something was up when she saw the table. The tablecloth was pink instead of the normal red. On the table was a vase of plum blossoms (did Ty Lee say something about those being her favorite flowers?) where the other tables did not and their table was spaced away from the other patrons, not that Azula was going to complain, she did like her privacy.

“This is so cute.” Ty Lee marveled as the pair sat down “Did you do this for me, Azula? It’s really sweet.”

Azula had nothing to do with this but Ty Lee looked so happy so Azula said, “Well, I know your favorite color is pink, I’ve seen your closet and you are forever talking about pink auras-“

“Yours seemed extra pink today.”

“-And” Azula continued, “of all the flowers you have planted in your backyard you love the plum blossoms the most.”

“You really know me well, Azula. I’m so happy we know each other; you make everything so much better”

If you told Azula she was blushing she’d probably light you on fire, but she was 100% blushing. “Well, of course, I know you, we spend so much time together. No one, not even Mai, seems to appreciate my company the way you do.”

“For some, it’s hard to get past your need to push people away, but I know you have a big heart deep down, and you mean a lot to me. You always have.”

Azula was a knife, get too close and she’d cut you. That’s the way she was raised and had to be. But Ty Lee always knew how to dull Azula’s edges, bring her guard down, and show the real Azula that was hidden behind layers of rude remarks, eye rolls, and scathing comments. Now, she was defenseless. “You mean a lot to me too.”

“And that’s why you’re stuck with me,” Ty Lee teased.

The waiter came over with a pitcher of pink liquid, he poured watermelon juice into each girl's glass and left the pitcher with the remaining juice on the table for the girls to help themselves. Then, without even taking their order the waiter served them their food. For Ty Lee Komodo Chicken and for Azula extra spicy fire noodles, exactly what they would have ordered, their favorite food. They even got dessert; a fruit tart served with pink rose petals on top. Azula wasn’t a huge fan of sweets so she ate a few bites, but Ty Lee more than made up for it and ate whatever Azula didn’t want. It was perfect. The meal had been pre-paid (since everything had been pre-ordered) and Azula left a sizable tip before the pair left. 

“Azula that was incredible! If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume you were trying to woo me,” Ty Lee said as they started to head for Azula’s place.

Azula would again deny it but she felt another blush creeping up her cheeks. “I’m glad you enjoyed my hard work.”

“I did. I really did. I don’t think I tell you enough how lucky I am to have you.”

Azula took Ty Lee’s hand and turned her body so Ty Lee was facing her. “Ty Lee, I think we should date.”

“Date? You’re sure you want that Azula?”

“I’ve actually been thinking about it all day.”

“That’s why your aura is so pink! Of course, I’ll date you, you make me the happiest I could ever be.”

Azula smiled “Together, you and I will be the strongest couple in the entire city!”

“And the cutest.”

“Of course.”

“Do we still get to do all the things we did as best friends, just now with kisses?”

“Yes and holding hands.”

“Always holding hands.”

The two continued the walk to Azula’s house. Ty Lee picked up her stuff and Azula and Ty Lee gave each other a kiss before Ty Lee left.

Azula made sure no one was in the hall and closed her door before she pulled out her phone and called her brother.

“Hey, Azula.”

“I know it was you.”

“I don’t know what you're talking about.”

“I’m no fool, Zuko, so don’t play me for one. Admit what you did.”

“Okay, fine. I set you up on a date with Ty Lee.”

“I thought so. . . Thank you.”

Zuko smiled, his sister thanking him? He never thought he’d see the day. “No problem.”

“Just so you know your dumb plan worked and Ty Lee is now my girlfriend, so tell Sokka if he comes within 10 feet of her again, I will end him.”

“Sokka is not interested in Ty Lee, he's dating me, he and Ty Lee are friends!”

“It’s a joke, Zuko. Sometimes I’m capable of those.”

“Oh. With you, it’s hard to tell.”

“I know Ty Lee would tell me if he was flirting. . . and I’d like you to know that he would disappear from existence if he ever hurt you.”

“Thanks, Azula but he won’t, he’s one of the best things that ever happened to me.”

“Still, there’s always a backup plan in case he’s sneaky.”

“I can always count on you to be prepared. And I want you to know you can count on me if anyone hurts you.”

“Thank you, Zuzu, but your depth perception is garbage, so I’d be more worried about you hurting yourself.”

Zuko was silent before saying, “That’s fair.”

“I’ll let you go; I have some things I need to do. I’ll see you around.”

“See ya, Azula.”

Things were going great. Zuko was living his best life working at the tea shop, spending nights out with his boyfriend, going on double dates with Azula and Ty Lee, letting Toph roast his boyfriend every day, Uncle letting him have everyone over for game nights. . . Nothing could have possibly been better. That was until Ty Lee came to the tea shop at closing time one day all but in tears, though it looked like she had cried already. Zuko brought her in and locked the door behind her. “Hey, hey Ty Lee please breathe,” Zuko said soothingly, sitting with her, “and when your stable talk to me. Take your time.”

Ty Lee took a few deep breaths before jumping right into what she had to say. “Ozai caught Azula and I kissing in the garden. I was kicked out of the house, Azula wasn’t answering my texts so I called the house, by the time I got a housekeeper on the phone she said Azula was taken to the hospital and hasn’t returned and that was about an hour or so ago.”

Zuko’s heart stopped. “You’ve been through a lot this afternoon so if you want to stay here, you’re more than welcome, but I’m going to that hospital right now to see her.”

Ty Lee shook her head. “No, I want to come with you, I need to see her!”

“Okay, okay, let me tell Uncle I’m leaving, and we’ll go right now,” Zuko said before telling Iroh he was going out for a while and would be back as soon as possible. 

“Hello, my name is Zuko, my sister Azula was checked in here in the past few hours, I need to see her right away.” Zuko said, standing at the receptionist’s desk with Ty Lee.

The receptionist looked at Zuko and then back down at her computer, “Azula?” she repeated and Zuko nodded. The receptionist started typing, looked at something on the computer paused, and asked, “you said you are her brother?”

Zuko nodded. “Yes, I know she was in some kind of altercation, I wasn’t there when it happened, and I’m worried about her.”

The receptionist seemed to think Zuko was telling the truth because she said, “well, she’s no longer here, she was treated and then checked herself out against the doctor’s recommendation.”

Ty Lee let out a defeated sigh as Zuko said, “Thank you.”

The pair walked out the automatic sliding hospital doors onto the street. “Where could she be? Oh Agni, I hope she didn’t run away. I can’t stand to think of her somewhere on the streets by herself!”

“Ty Lee, take a breath, it’s okay. I think I know where she is, but when we get there, I need you to let me talk to her before you see her.”

Ty Lee looked at Zuko for a moment, she wanted to argue but Zuko was Azula’s brother and he had dealt with Ozai before so perhaps it would be better for him to talk to her first. As long as Azula was somewhere safe, she could wait a few extra minutes. “Okay.”

Zuko led Ty Lee to Lo and Li’s dojo. The siblings both had a key to the place as Lo and Li trusted them, and Ozai probably slipped them extra cash. They went inside and they could hear some sounds from one of the rooms, so Zuko motioned for Ty Lee to take a seat in the lobby and Zuko went to the room with the noise. “I knew I’d find you here,” Zuko said, closing the door behind him.

Azula was practicing but stopped when she heard him enter, she didn’t turn to face him though, instead, she said, “Go away!”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Leave or I’ll make you.”

“I’m here for you, I’m here to help you.”

“Help me? Why would you want to help me?” It was a talent Azula had, being able to scare people without raising her voice, although now she was, she spun around to face Zuko, “this is all your fault?!”

“My fault? How is this my fault?”

“This wouldn’t have happened if you had just minded your own business!”

“It’s not my fault that Ozai is a homophobic piece of shit. You should be able to be in love with Ty Lee without worrying about being hurt!”

“You just wanted me to be a failure like you, hated like you!”

“Azula, if you really think that then you don’t know me at all.”

Azula still looked mad but her voice was softer. “He was so angry with me. He’s never been mad at me before.”

Zuko dared to get a bit closer “I know, and he shouldn’t have been, and I’m so sorry that anger was directed at you, Azula. You didn’t deserve any of it.”

“I work so hard, I get straight A’s, I got my black belt in 5 years and still practice 3 times a week. I lie and laugh and smile at all his coworkers, his stupid supports, and donors. I tried so hard to be the perfect daughter. I am the perfect daughter! And he hit me!”

“And he’s going to pay for that. Pay for it dearly. I promise you.” Zuko could see Azula's eyes start to well up so he walked towards and hugged her, she let herself be hugged, and even hugged him back.

“Where is Ty Lee? I haven’t seen her since dad kicked her out.”

“She’s in the lobby. I wanted to talk you down first because I knew if you were here it wasn’t going to be pretty,” Zuko said, taking a better look at Azula’s face, she had a black eye, a split lip, and a bandage over her broken nose. If he could he probably would have murdered Ozai with his bare hands. “C’mon, she’s really worried.”

Ty Lee jumped up and embraced Azula the moment she stepped through the door. “I was so worried!”

Azula didn’t say anything, just hugged Ty Lee as tight as possible.

“You’ll stay with us tonight, Azula. We’ll tell Uncle and he’s going to get you out of there permanently,” Zuko told his sister.

“Uncle will let me stay with him?”

“You really think he wouldn’t? Are you kidding? He tried to take you in when he took me in, but I’m guessing you didn’t know that.”

“I did not.”

“Ozai told Uncle he asked, and you didn’t want to.”

Azula crossed her arms, “I mean I probably wouldn’t have but I should have gotten the offer. I just thought uncle didn’t care about me as much as you.”

“No, Uncle cares about you just as much as he does me. He loves you, and he’ll take you in, and he’s going to help us take Ozai down. . . Also, he may ask you to help out with the tea shop on busy days because we have it pretty much handled otherwise.”

Azula nodded.

“Let’s get Ty Lee home and then we’ll go home.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” Ty Lee said to Azula.

“I’ll be fine at Uncle’s, Ty, and I’ll see you first thing in the morning,” Azula told her girlfriend, giving her hand a small squeeze to reassure her.

Ty Lee nodded, “okay, first thing in the morning.”

The three of them went to Ty Lee’s house, the couple sharing one more hug and kiss before Ty Lee went inside.

Zuko brought Azula home. Iroh was waiting for them. He always waited for Zuko to get home before going to bed, but especially tonight because his nephew seemed distressed before leaving. When he saw a hurt Azula walk in behind Zuko, his heart sank, “Azula, are you alright?” Iroh asked, genuine concern written all over his face as he rushed over to them.

“It’s just a black eye and broken nose,” Azula said, “I’m fine.”

“You are not fine and you are not going to lie to me like this under my roof. I’m here for you, to help you. It’s okay to not be okay.”

“Dad hit me when he saw me with my girlfriend. . . I don’t want to go back home.”

“The only time you’ll ever go back there is to take whatever of your things you want after I get custody of you two. You’re never going back to him and that is a promise.”

“Thank you,” Azula said.

“You can stay in my bed tonight and I’ll stay on the couch, the room where you’ll be staying is a bit cluttered, so I’ll close the shop early and clean it out tomorrow.”  
Azula mumbled something about being tired so Zuko took her upstairs and gave her some clothes to sleep in.

The next morning, Ty Lee was waiting at the entrance to the Jasmine Dragon when Zuko and Azula got downstairs they open the door for her and Ty Lee wrapped her arms around Azula. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

Azula hugged Ty Lee back, “I’m so happy you’re here.”

“Of course, I’m here! I said I would be, and I wouldn’t ever lie to you.”

“Would you like some tea, Ty Lee?” Zuko asked.

“I would, actually, thank you,” Ty Lee answered.

Iroh made the group some ginseng tea and Zuko said, “I want to take Ozai down, once and for all.”

“You were serious about that? How exactly do you plan to do that?” Azula asked. “He’s a respected politician. Sure, his ideas are backward, but enough people seem to like him since he keeps getting voted in.”

“Well, the reason he parades us around is because he wants to show he’s a family man, a hardworking single father, that part of his image and appeal. If we can take his kids away very publicly, that will damage him. If we could show the world that he abused his kids, he would never recover from that.” Zuko said.

“Uncle could call CPS but I don’t know if that’s enough. He never hurt us in front of staff, both of us were alone. 

“We need cold, hard evidence,” Azula replied and started to think. Uncle Iroh could call CPS but that wouldn’t be enough, Ozai left visible marks on the face but he was smart enough to never do anything in front of staff or anyone in the household, without proof it’s just kids said this, and dad says that, which won’t be enough to convince people. “We need to be bold; we won’t get a second chance at this.”

Zuko could tell Azula had an idea, “what should we do, Azula?”

Azula paused, neither Zuko nor Ty Lee was going to like this idea. “It starts with me going back home.”

“No,” Ty Lee said, “you can’t after what he did to you.”

“If I go back, I can hide cameras.”

“Azula, he's going to hurt you again. We don’t want to see you get hurt again,” Zuko told her, starting to get nervous.

“I want him to hurt me again and I’ll get it on camera. That is evidence he can’t talk his way out of.”

“. . . I’m scared of you ending up like me.”

Azula paused, “Zuko, I need to do this.”

Ty Lee sided with her girlfriend, “Trust her, she can do this.”

“I know she can,” Zuko responded. “You’re going to have to clear this with Uncle.”

Azula crossed her arms, “You think he can stop me?”

“Not really but I think you should still tell him.”

“I will.”

The three of them started discussing the plan, discussing cameras to buy, what to do, just laying out a solid groundwork to catch this man and tank his life for good.

“What are you going to do when you finally get in there?” Zuko asked, still worried about her.

It was a fair question, Azula spent her entire life until this point working to please her father, to earn his praise, and what she thought was love. This was a complete 180 and she had no idea what to do. She shrugged, “I don’t know, I’ll just think what would Zuko do, that outta work.”

A look of hurt flashed across Zuko’s face, that hit too close to home. “Just be careful, okay?”

“I will, I promise.”

“Thank you. Keep us in the loop about what’s going on.”

“I’ll text you both. I’ll see you at school, probably games, and parties but I don’t want anyone to see me at the shop. I don’t want him to think I’ve changed in any way and get suspicious.”

“We understand. We’re here for you always, Azula.”

Iroh walked in with a key, probably about to unlock the tea shop doors. “Uncle, we need to talk about something with you. Don’t open the shop, yet. This is between us.” Zuko said.

“Just the four of us,” Azula said her eyes on Zuko as she spoke.

“I might tell Sokka.”

Azula rolled her eyes, she saw that coming, “but no one else!”

“What are your three plotting?” Iroh asked.

“I’m going to go back to my father, plant camera in the house, and catch him in the act.”

“If you think I’m letting you go back to that house after what he’s done to you two, you’re out of your mind,” Iroh said sternly.

“I wasn't asking and you can’t stop me.”

“You’re 14 and I’m the adult in this situation, yes I can.”

“No, you can’t. This is something I need to do.”

“Azula, I care too much about you to let you go back there and get hurt again! If I let you go back, I’m no better than my brother.”

“You don’t understand.”

“What don’t I understand?” Iroh asked.

“This is my fault!” Azula said, finally saying what she kept buried with her for years, things she told herself wasn’t true even though she knew it was. “I’m complicit in everything he does. Every time he hurt Zuko, when he burned him and I knew and said nothing, every party in which I talked about how great of a man and politician he was, trying to get money and votes for him, every time I did whatever he asked without fail or a word of complaint, helping him. I’m complicit and now I need to be his undoing.” Azula had that look on her face, the same she wore while taking a test or practicing king-fu, she was determined. Her uncle could stand in her way, but he wasn’t going to stop her, nothing was.

Zuko and Ty Lee were silent. 

Iroh took in all that Azula said to him and nodded. “You were complicit in an environment that allowed you no alternative. I’m so proud of you for trying to be better, and once this is over you won’t have to worry about anything but living a life that best suits you. I’ll get you everything you need.”

Azula nodded. “Thank you, Uncle”

“You’re welcome. I’d like it known I’m very against this plan, but you’re right. This is the only way to get evidence.”

Iroh opened the shop and Azula shared one more pot of tea with Zuko and Ty Lee before returning home. 

Ozai was not pleased when Azula walked in the front door. “You weren’t at the hospital. Rather spend the night in the street than in your own bed?”

“I left the hospital and went to Lo and Li’s”

“You expect me to believe you spent the entire night in the dojo?”

“I did. You know I have the keys to the dojo and enjoy practicing.”

“Hm. . . Did they see you?”

“No.”

Ozai nodded. That sounded more like Azula. “Alright, fine. Don’t ever stay out like that again or there will be consequences.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I’ll be in my office, don’t bother me.”

Azula went to her room, lay down on the bed, and took a breath. She got inside, that was the easy part, next was getting the cameras and setting them up, that was the hard part and was going to take a couple of days, she had to do it without her father or any staff seeing her. 

Azula regularly kept in contact with Zuko and Ty Lee, Ty Lee cheering Azula up by sending dorky selfies or videos of small animals. Azula didn’t much care for the small animals, but whenever she watched the videos, she could always picture Ty Lee’s face lighting up and her smile and her voice as she said, ‘it’s just so little!’, It’s so small and I just want to hold it’, and ‘it’s too precious for this world.’ 

All the cameras had been set up and were working. At school, Zuko asked Azula, “do you know what you're going to do?”

Azula nodded, “You know he’s holding a party, fundraiser for the campaign tonight. My plan is to make a scene, loudly argue with someone, he’ll probably call me into his office, I set up a camera in there”

Zuko nodded, “that’ll work.”

“I know.”

“I need you to be careful, Azula.”

Azula resisted the urge to roll her eyes, all she heard from him all week was ‘be careful’ over and over, as if she didn’t know what her father was capable of. “You have got to stop repeating yourself, Zuzu.” 

“Embarrassing him in front of people like that is what got me burned, I’m just worried.”

“I know but you’ll be there too,” Ozai still wanted both his kids at events, “find me as soon as you can, and we’ll get the hell outta there.”

“I will. I won’t leave you alone longer than necessary.”

“I should get going, I’ll see you tonight.”

“See you then, Azula.”

The next day, Azula answered the door when Zuko appeared both dressed up, ready, and the most stressed they have ever been. 

The pair met Ozai in the event room, he gave his usual greeting of putting Zuko down and praising Azula, and then went to finish some last-minute things, finally leaving the kids alone. 

“Are you ready?” Zuko asked her gently.

“I’m always ready to do what needs to be done, Zuzu.”

“Okay. I just wanted to make sure.”

The party started out the same as always, fake smiles and greetings. Eventually, the two kids separated from their father. Instinctively, Azula looked for Ty Lee and Mai but neither were there. Mai was busy and Ty Lee wasn’t invited. Instead, she listened in on nearby conversations. Listening to all these people praise her father in offhand conversations was beginning to really grate Azula. She had been able to tolerate it for many years while in her father’s favor, but acknowledging how awful he truly was, how little he really deserved from anyone, her blood was boiling the longer she listened, which probably was for the better. Azula was always able to pick better fights when she was angry. She heard someone talking about policy, she didn’t even know what policy it was, she just disagreed with him, that was all it took, they got into a loud argument quickly. 

Swiftly Ozai stepped into the conversation, apologized to the guest, and excused Azula and himself from the event. He all but dragged her into his office, locked the door. “What has gotten into you?! How dare you speak to a guest like that!”

Zuko’s eyes kept wandering to the door Azula and Ozai left out of, waiting for him to return, he didn’t know how long it took for him to actually get back as it felt like an eternity but when he did Zuko slipped past everyone and out the door. He found Azula in Ozai’s office, sitting on the floor, one arm sort of hovering over the other one but not touching it. “Azula?”

She looked up and stood when she saw him. There were tears in her eyes, though she was trying not to cry. “My arm, I think it's broken.”

“Don’t touch it or try to set it,” Zuko said, “I’ll call Uncle and he can drive us to the hospital.”

The hospital staff made Zuko and Iroh wait elsewhere while the questioned Azula about how she got injured, her broken nose hadn’t even healed yet. She told them the truth, Zuko backed up her story. The hospital contacted the authorities because Azula was a child being physically assaulted by her father.

The cops showed up at Ozai’s house, apologized, and had everyone that was there removed. They spoke to Ozai, more than question him. He denied all the allegations and, of course, the police believed him, but they still had to do their job and search his home, particularly his office where Azula stated the crime took place. He agreed to let them search, after all, he had nothing to hide. That was until the cops found the hidden cameras Ozai claimed not to know was there. They took Ozai down to the station as they reviewed the footage.

Sokka and Ty Lee were in the tea shop. They both knew of the plan and didn’t want to go home until they knew Azula was alright. 

The minute Azula stepped into the Jasmine Dragon, Ty Lee, who had been waiting the whole time with Sokka, had to resist the urge to throw herself on Azula and hug her. Instead, she walked up to Azula, taking note of the cast around her broken arm, and gave her a gentle half hug. 

“I was so worried about you.” Ty Lee said. 

“You’ll never have to worry about my safety again. I’m never going back there.”

“Never ever again if I can help it.”

The next morning, while Ozai’s house was still empty, Iroh, Zuko, and Azula went in and started to pack everything she wanted to take with her, mostly clothes, and a few little trinkets from her friends, and some of her jewelry. Everything else felt tainted with bad memories and bad habits that she wanted to leave behind. She had an odd sense of déjà vu as she remembered when Zuko and Iroh had done the exact same thing for him. 

_11 years old Azula had peeked into Zuko’s room, “so you’re really leaving?”_

__

__

_“Yeah” Zuko replied._

_“Bye.” She said cheerfully then wandered off down the hall._

Even then she had a hard time processing how she felt, and she stayed the same for years after that.

Now, 3 years later, everything was different. But was she any different? She thought she was, she wanted to be. The conversation she had with her father in his office before it devolved and her broke her arm echoed in her head.

_“First you entertain gay fantasies, now you’re disrespecting my guests?! You’re becoming like your brother, an absolute disappointment” Ozai was frowning at her._

__

__

_“Don’t talk about Zuko like that. He’s the only one here who actually cares about me!”_

_“Oh please, you think he cares about you? How could he care about you when you’ve made sure you’re the favorite? You’ve gone out of your way to make him look like a failure so you would get praise and he would get scrutinized; how could he possibly care about someone so self-centered and self-serving?” He knew exactly what he was doing when he pitted Azula and Zuko against each other. He wanted them to hate each other._

_“Because I can change, I can be better.”_

__

__

_“You can’t, and you won’t, because you’re not better. You’re not capable of being better."_

“Azula?” Zuko asked bringing Azula out of her thoughts and back down to Earth. “You okay?”

“Yeah” Azula nodded, “just thinking.”

Ozai ended up not going to jail despite the evidence they had on him, the tape got “lost” although most people suspected bribery was involved, but at least his career in politics was over, and he was not allowed anywhere near either of his kids, Iroh was given full custody of both of them.

Zuko and Ty Lee helped Azula decorate her room and threw a small party to celebrate both siblings being out from under their father’s abuse and control.

Once Azula’s arm was healed she helped out at the tea shop. Although more with making the tea rather than being a server since she was better at making tea than Zuko. She met Zuko’s friend, Toph, and Toph’s friend, Aang. Then there was Katara. Azula knew Katara, they had a lot of classes together and they couldn’t stand each other. But, given everything that happened and the fact that their brothers were dating, they declared a truce, they weren’t friends, but they could at least be civil during game night. . . as long as they weren’t playing monopoly.


End file.
